Pistachios

El Bulli

Chef: Ferran Adriá

Country: España

City: 17480 Roses (Girona)

Address: Cala Montjoi, a 7km. del centro urbano

It is a well-known fact that the almond, and more specifically the fresh almond, has played a transcendental, protagonist’s role in Ferran Adrià’s cuisine. Following in its wake, nuts continue to play an important part and in 2009 the stellar protagonist is the pistachio. If it is difficult to create a dish where the pistachio plays a relevant, magnanimous role, it is much more difficult to exalt it to absolute genius without any other support. Pistachio, pistachio, pistachio, pistachio, pistachio… six times pistachio. Six times pistachio and, we repeat, a monographically green dish with a subtly bitter base. A monograph that doesn’t tire, that doesn’t saturate the palate, that achieves sapid diversity with a single flavor. Flavorful nuances, a half dozen or so, enriched by as many consistencies. Ferran is the king of textures, and in so much as that, the king of cleanness and the king of palatal richness, extracting everything from an ingredient, all its flavor, all the diversity of its flavor in its purest form. The pistachio is still the pistachio, nothing has changed in its essence–only the way you see it. Everything is pistachio, all the different types of pistachios possible. We needn’t even say that the most difficult task is the planning that goes into each dish for the artist, an artist whose only limits are those of his mind and palate, the palate that has brought the pistachio to great heights and a plurality never before seen.

The Recipe

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
For the green pistachio milk
500 g mineral water
250 g peeled green pistachio
7 g salt

For the green pistachio milk cream
Green pistachio milk (made previously)

For the pistachio shell “mold” of green pistachio cream
Green pistachio cream (made previously)
Pistachio shell “mold”

For the Algin bath
500 g water
2.5 g ALGIN

For the sphere “molds” of raw pistachios
200 g green pistachio cream (made previously)
6 g glucose
Raw pistachio “mold”
Green pistachio oil
Algin bath (made previously)

For the pistachio praline
500 g peeled green pistachio
200 g green pistachio oil
7 g salt

For the raw pistachio “mold” of pistachio cream praline
200 g pistachio praline (made previously)
raw pistachio “mold”

For the coconut water
1 Coconut (300 g milk)

For the coconut jelly
100 g coconut water (made previously)
0.3 g agar agar
2 sheets fish tail gelatin
For the raw pistachio “mold” of coconut jelly
coconut jelly (made previously)
small raw pistachio “mold”
pistachio oil
For the truffle ice cream
180 g truffle juice
0.5 g stabilizer
18 g truffle oil
8 g chopped truffle
2 eggs
0.3 g xanthan gum
2 g salt
1 drop sorbitol

For the toasted pistachios
12 pistachios
For the shelled fresh pistachios
16 fresh pistachios
For the smoked oil
100 g sunflower oil

NOTE: ALGIN is the commercial name given to sodium alginate in Textures by Albert and Ferran Adrià.
NOTE: AGAR is the commercial name given to gelidium amansii in Textures by Albert and Ferran Adrià.
NOTE: XANTHAN is the commercial name given to xanthan gum in Textures by Albert and Ferran Adrià.
Other ingredients
Peeled green pistachio
Liquid nitrogen
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION

1. In a blender, blend the mineral water with the green pistachios and salt
2. Move to a PacoJet container and freeze for 24 hours
1. Pass the frozen pistachio milk twice through the PacoJet until you have a fine consistency
1. Fill the pistachio shell “molds” with the pistachio cream, giving them a round shape on the superior aspect
2. Freeze for 8 hours
3. Remove from the mold and set aside in a sealed container with sulfur paper in the freezer
1. Mix the water with the Algin in a blender and blend until the Algin is completely dissolved
2. Refrigerate for 12 hours to eliminate any excess air
1. Mix the glucose together with the pistachio cream using a hand-held mixer
2. Fill the raw pistachio “molds” with the pistachio cream, giving them a round shape on the superior aspect
3. Freeze for 8 hours
4. Remove from the mold and set aside in a sealed container with sulfur paper in the freezer
5. Submerge the pistachios in the Algin bath for 1 min, 30 seconds a side
6. Remove very carefully from the Algin bath and clean in cold water
7. Place the pistachio spheres in a container covered with the green pistachio oil
8. Refrigerate and set aside until service
1. Blend finely then pass through a fine sieve
2. Move to a container and refrigerate
1. Fill the raw pistachio “molds” with the pistachio praline, giving them a round shape on the superior aspect
2. Freeze for 8 hours Remove from the mold and set aside in a sealed container with sulfur paper in the freezer

1. Shell and extract the coconut water
1. Dissolve the agar agar in half of the coconut milk and bring to a boil
2. Skim to remove any impurities
3. Add the previously soaked gelatin sheets and mix in the rest of the milk
4. Leave to sit
1. Fill the raw pistachio “molds” with the coconut jelly with the help of a syringe with a small tip
2. Leave to sit for 2 hours
3. Remove from the mold and set aside in a sealed container with pistachio oil

1. In 1/3 of the truffle juice mix in the stabilizer
2. Move to a pot and heat to 76ºC
3. Away from the heat add the rest of the juice, the xanthan, mix with the Thurmix and then add the rest of the ingredients
4. Return to the Thurmix for a final mix. Refrigerate
1. Shell and set the pistachios aside
2. Before service toast the pistachios in the oven
3. Chop 4 pistachios and reserve the rest4.
1. Remove the pistachios from the shell with the help of a nutcracker, taking care not to break them
2. Peel them and refrigerate
3. Save the green pistachio skin
1. Smoke the oil in a smoker for 8 hours

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